Gautam Adani-led Adani Enterprises on Wednesday said that the company's Dubai arm, Ospree International FZCO, has acquired France-based Le Marche Duty Free SAS (LMDF) at a cost of 5,000 euros. In an attempt to further push its expansion in the duty free industry, Adani Enterprises said in an exchange filing that the acquisition is of strategic nature in the interest of Mumbai Travel Retail Private Limited.
The CBI obtained custody of Shajahan Sheikh, a key accused in the Sandeshkhali ED official attack case, from the West Bengal CID. This development followed two consecutive orders by the Calcutta High Court directing the transfer of the case and the custody of the main accused to the central agency. In a fresh directive issued on Wednesday, the high court instructed the state government to promptly implement its Tuesday's judgement, transferring the case concerning the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at Sandeshkhali to the CBI and transferring custody of the primary accused, Sheikh, to the central agency.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from the party's Uttar Pradesh bastion of Raebareli, according to media reports. Rahul Gandhi will return to contest from Amethi - which he lost to the BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019.
Despite the BJP having only 25 lawmakers in the hill state against Congress' 40 MLAs, BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan had secured the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal. The victory became possible after six Congress MLAs and three independent MLAs allegedly cross-voted in the BJP's favour, triggering a political crisis for the Sukhu government.
After unveiling several projects in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began addressing a women's rally in Barasat, North 24 Parganas district. "Today's event is a testimony of BJP's belief that Nari Shakti is the force that will lead us to Viksit Bharat. On January 9, BJP began the Nari Shakti Vandan Abhiyan. We have received messages from lakhs of SHGs all across India," says PM Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled India's first underwater metro route and other projects projects worth Rs 15,400 crore in Kolkata. This is PM Modi's second visit to West Bengal within a span of five days. The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro's East-West corridor is nestled under the River Hooghly, which separates the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah on its east and west banks respectively. Although the inauguration will take place today, the passenger services will begin at a later date, CPRO Metro Railways Kaushik Mitra said. Kolkata Metro touched a milestone in April 2023, as its rakes completed a trial journey under the bed of Hooghly through a tunnel 32 metres below the water level for the first time in India.
Moving closer to a historic rematch, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump began gaining early victories as states across the country held Super Tuesday polls. Super Tuesday features polls in 16 states and one territory from Alaska and California to Vermont and Virginia. Hundreds of delegates are at stake, the biggest haul of the race for either party. Biden and Trump won Maine, Oklahoma, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Biden also won the Democratic primaries in Massachusetts, Vermont and Iowa.The earliest either can become his party's presumptive nominee is March 12 for Trump and March 19 for Biden. But, in a departure from most previous Super Tuesdays, both nominations are effectively settled.
Criticising the West Bengal Police for a "totally biased" conduct, the Calcutta High Court directed that the CBI be handed over the case of attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali and the custody of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh on Tuesday. The West Bengal government moved the Supreme Court challenging the order and the state police refused to hand over Sheikh to the CBI team, which returned from CID headquarters at Bhawani Bhawan at 7:30 pm. "We have not handed him over to CBI as the state government has moved the Supreme Court," a CID official said, even as the CBI took over the probe by registering an FIR soon after the HC order."
 "Highlights of the day: Adani Enterprises acquires Le Marche Duty Free")
